Does a by-election have to be called?
(Clockwise from top left) Former WP MP Raeesah Khan, who represented Sengkang GRC, former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, former Speaker of Parliament and Marine Parade GRC MP Tan Chuan-Jin, former Tampines GRC MP Cheng Li Hui and former Aljunied GRC MP Leon Perera from WP had resigned from their respective posts. PHOTOS: GOV.SG, MCI
There are five empty seats in Parliament arising from different incidents – a situation that Singapore has never experienced since its independence. The vacancies in the House have thrown up questions from Singaporeans: Why are there no by-elections to refill the gaps? Will the work of Parliament be affected, and what does this mean for Parliament, going forward? It all started in November 2021 when former Workers’ Party MP Raeesah Khan, who was representing Sengkang GRC, resigned after lying in Parliament.
In July 2023, former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam stepped down from his posts, including as a Jurong GRC MP, and resigned from the People’s Action Party (PAP) after announcing his bid for the upcoming presidential election. About a week later, former Speaker of Parliament and Marine Parade GRC MP Tan Chuan-Jin and former Tampines GRC MP Cheng Li Hui resigned following their affair, which Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong deemed as an “inappropriate relationship”. Later that week, former Aljunied GRC MP Leon Perera resigned, after a video circulated of him with then senior WP member Nicole Seah, who also resigned. WP chief Pritam Singh said they both resigned after they had lied to the party about their affair.
The Straits Times speaks to political observers to answer several key questions:
- Is it sustainable for MPs to be covering for their former colleagues for a long period of time?
- Do the vacancies affect the work of Parliament?
- Does a by-election have to be called? At what point should a general election be called?
related:
WP’s Leon Perera & Nicole Seah resign over extramarital affair
The affair started after the 2020 General Election and both Leon Perera and Nicole Seah initially denied allegations when claims surfaced in 2021
Workers' Party (WP) senior members Leon Perera and Nicole Seah have resigned from the opposition party after having an extramarital affair, secretary-general Pritam Singh announced on Wednesday (Jul 19). He also said that Mr Perera has informed the acting Speaker of Parliament that he will be resigning as a Member of Parliament (MP).
“Both of them admitted that they had an affair, which started after the General Election of 2020, but that it had stopped some time ago,” said Mr Singh at a press conference, adding that they had previously told the party that there was no truth to the allegations when they surfaced in 2021. "Leon's conduct and not being truthful when asked by the party leadership about the allegations fell short of the standards expected of Workers' Party MPs. This is unacceptable," Mr Singh added.
This comes two days after a video clip apparently showing the pair surfaced on Facebook, prompting the party to say that it was looking into an "inappropriate exchange between two senior Party members". It added then that the party "expects all its members to fully own and account for their behaviour". The silent 15-second clip appeared to show Mr Perera – an MP for Aljunied – dining with 2020 General Election candidate Ms Seah while holding and stroking her hands.
File photo of Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and MP Cheng Li Hui, posted on Mr Tan's Facebook page in February 2016. Mr Tan was elected Speaker in September 2017. (Photo: Facebook/Tan Chuan-Jin)
Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin and Member of Parliament Cheng Li Hui have resigned from parliament and the People's Action Party (PAP). Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has accepted the resignations, said the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Monday (Jul 17), although it did not specify or elaborate on the reasons behind the resignations.
In his letter of resignation, Mr Tan said the recent incident involving his use of unparliamentary language in the House has added to the hurt he has caused his family. "I have let them down. We have spoken about my personal conduct before," he wrote in his letter to the Prime Minister, dated Jul 17.
Ms Cheng, MP for Tampines GRC, said in her letter to the Prime Minister that she is "very sorry to be resigning in these circumstances". "(I) would like to apologise to the party, as well as to my residents and volunteers." Ms Cheng, 47, has been MP for Tampines GRC since 2015 when she made her political debut. She is not married.
S. Iswaran, Singapore's minister for trade and industry, speaks during a Singapore Airlines news conference in Singapore on Jan. 29, 2018. Ore Huiying—Bloomberg/Getty Images
Transport Minister S Iswaran was questioned for around 10 hours by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) on Tuesday (Jul 18), the first time he has been spotted at the anti-graft agency since news of his connection to an investigation broke last week.
National daily The Straits Times reported that Mr Iswaran arrived at the CPIB building at Lengkok Bahru in Redhill at about 10.50am on Tuesday in a grey Mazda 6 saloon. Dressed in a blue shirt and dark trousers, he entered the compound alone. TODAY spotted him leaving at 8.48pm in a dark-coloured Audi sports utility vehicle.
CPIB said last Friday that Mr Iswaran and Hotel Property Limited managing director Ong Beng Seng were arrested on Jul 11 and assisting with investigations. It did not give details on the nature of the probe. Both men were released on bail, and as part of their bail conditions, both Mr Iswaran and Mr Ong's passports were impounded.
Presidential hopeful Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the launch of his campaign to be elected president of Singapore, at the York Hotel on Wednesday, Jul 26, 2023
Singapore's former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Wednesday (Jul 26) said he intended to be "a President for a new era" as he officially launched his campaign for the office.
“I stepped into this race because I feel very strongly in the need to evolve Singapore's culture, some of our norms and the way we go about working with each other so that we remain a shining spot in the world,” said Mr Tharman at a press conference at the York Hotel.
The official launch comes more than a month after Mr Tharman first announced his intention to run for President. On Jun 8, he informed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong that he was putting himself forward as a candidate, and in doing so leaving politics and the People’s Action Party. Accompanied by his wife Jane Yumiko Ittogi on Wednesday, Mr Tharman outlined challenges facing Singapore both globally and domestically and emphasised that the nation's real challenge was to avoid becoming a divided society.
Sengkang MP Raeesah Khan resigns from WP following probe over admission of lying in Parliament
Ms Raeesah Khan had on Nov 1 admitted to lying in Parliament at an earlier sitting about details of a sexual assault case. PHOTO: ST FILE
Sengkang GRC MP Raeesah Khan has resigned from the Workers' Party (WP), which also means that she has resigned from her position as an MP.
The WP announced this in a Facebook post on Tuesday night (Nov 30), saying its top leadership had met at 8pm to deliberate and decide on the recommendation of a disciplinary committee that had been formed to investigate Ms Khan's admissions in Parliament.
Ms Khan, 27, had on Nov 1 admitted to lying in Parliament at an earlier sitting about details of a sexual assault case that she had alleged was mishandled by the police.
(Clockwise from top left) Ms Cheng Li Hui and Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Mr Yaw Shin Leong, Mr Michael Palmer and Mr David Ong. PHOTOS: TAN CHUAN-JIN/FACEBOOK, THE NEW PAPER FILE, ST FILE
The spotlight has been cast on the private lives of politicians after Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and fellow People’s Action Party (PAP) MP Cheng Li Hui stepped down from their positions following an extramarital affair.
The two resigned from the party on Monday after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong found out in July that the pair had continued their relationship despite being counselled earlier. That same day, the Workers’ Party (WP) faced a potential scandal of its own after a video that purportedly showed MP Leon Perera and senior party member Nicole Seah sharing an intimate moment was circulated online. The WP said it was investigating the video and will hold a media conference over ‘inappropriate exchange’.
The Straits Times looks back at the cheating scandals that have tainted local politicians and how the parties dealt with them:
- Yaw Shin Leong - Rumours began circulating in January 2012 that Mr Yaw, then the WP MP for Hougang, had an affair with a married WP member. He was accused of having an illicit relationship with a married Chinese national who helped him in translation work for parliamentary speeches. On Feb 7, 2012, Mr Yaw, then 35, quit his post as WP’s treasurer, but stayed on as a party member and MP.
- Michael Palmer - As the first Eurasian to become Speaker of Parliament since independence, as well as being the second-youngest person to hold the post, it seemed that Mr Palmer’s political career was on the up and up. But the then 44-year-old quit all his posts – including his Punggol East single-member constituency seat – because of an extramarital affair with a People’s Association constituency director in late 2012. Mr Palmer, who is married with one son, was the first known PAP MP to resign because of an affair. For more than a year, he was in a relationship with Madam Laura Ong, who worked in Pasir-Ris Punggol GRC and is 11 years younger. She had married in March 2006, but separated from her husband two years later.
- David Ong - The father of three entered politics in 2011 as the PAP’s oldest new face at 49 in that year’s general election, contesting in Jurong group representation constituency, where he was subsequently elected. In 2016, the businessman, who was then the MP for Bukit Batok SMC, resigned from his role and the party over his “personal indiscretion”. He was believed to have been in an extramarital affair with a grassroots activist in his ward, with the affair having gone on for at least six months. The woman was 13 years his junior and the relationship was exposed only after her husband complained about it. He resigned on March 12, via a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, although no details were given about the alleged affair. More information emerged only in a news report by Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao that night.
- Tan Chuan-Jin - Barely a week after a video emerged of the former Speaker muttering the words “****ing populist” following WP MP Jamus Lim’s April speech on helping lower-income groups, the former brigadier-general, 54, found himself embroiled in another scandal. PM Lee revealed that the former Marine Parade GRC MP had been in a relationship with former Tampines GRC MP Cheng Li Hui, 47, for some years, and that they had carried on despite both being counselled by the PM in February. It is unclear when the relationship between Mr Tan, who is married with two children, and Ms Cheng, who is single, started, but PM Lee discovered it some time after the 2020 General Election.
Court acquits lawyer and MP Christopher de Souza of professional misconduct charge
The decision by the Court of Three Judges came after the Law Society argued for Mr Christopher de Souza to be suspended for 4 years. PHOTO: GOV.SG
People’s Action Party MP Christopher de Souza was cleared of a charge of professional misconduct as a lawyer on Monday. The decision by the Court of Three Judges came after the Law Society argued for him to be suspended for four years.
Mr de Souza, who is the Deputy Speaker of Parliament and an MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, was facing the court in a hearing to decide the outcome of disciplinary proceedings brought against him by the Law Society. His lawyer, on the other hand, urged the court to acquit him of the charge, arguing that the Law Society had persistently advanced a doggedly misconceived case against Mr de Souza, a partner at Lee & Lee.
The court, comprising Justices Belinda Ang, Woo Bih Li and Kannan Ramesh, said that the Law Society did not prove beyond reasonable doubt that he had intended to help his client suppress evidence. Mr de Souza was found guilty by a two-member disciplinary tribunal in 2022 for helping his client suppress evidence by preparing and filing an affidavit that did not reveal his client had breached an undertaking not to use certain documents.
In 2022, Mr Christopher de Souza was found guilty of professional misconduct by a disciplinary tribunal. PHOTO: GOV.SG
Lawyer and People’s Action Party MP Christopher de Souza will face the Court of Three Judges next Monday in a hearing to decide the final outcome of professional disciplinary proceedings brought against him.
The court, which is the highest disciplinary body for the legal profession, has the power to disbar, suspend or fine a lawyer who is guilty of professional misconduct. The court can also clear a lawyer of such charges.
In 2022, Mr de Souza, who is the Deputy Speaker of Parliament and an MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, was found guilty of a misconduct charge by an independent disciplinary tribunal.
Deputy Speaker Christopher De Souza Could Be Next PAP MP To Face The Axe
Deputy Speaker of Parliament and PAP MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Christopher de Souza could be next to face the sack.
Mr de Souza, a lawyer, was found guilty of professional misconduct by a disciplinary tribunal in December 2022 for helping a client to suppress evidence. He has denied any wrongdoing and is appealing the verdict.
The PAP said in a statement that it will determine the course of action necessary after the court gives its verdict.
Bukit Panjang MP Liang Eng Hwa diagnosed with nose cancer, may take time off for treatment
“As there are expected side effects from the radiation, I may need to take time off from some community activities and duties in the next couple of months,” Mr Liang said
Bukit Panjang SMC MP Liang Eng Hwa has been diagnosed with nose cancer, and will be undergoing daily radiotherapy treatments for the next seven weeks.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Mr Liang said he had been experiencing muffled hearing in his left ear for months, which prompted a visit to an ear, nose and throat doctor.
Upon doing a nasal endoscopy and biopsy, and undergoing subsequent computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans, it was discovered that he had early-stage nose cancer.
Workers' Party MP Faisal Manap hospitalised in intensive care for cardiac condition
In his absence, the remaining GRC MPs and other party members will cover his constituency duties, said WP
Workers' Party Member of Parliament Muhamad Faisal Manap was warded in hospital on Monday (Jul 24) night for a cardiac condition.
"His condition is stable and he is being monitored and cared for in the intensive care unit. Mr Faisal is conscious," the party said on Tuesday in a statement posted on Facebook. "His family appreciates the public’s concern, and they have requested for privacy so he can focus on his recuperation."
The 48-year-old has been a Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC since 2011.
Parliament appoints New Speaker 2 Aug 2023
Recent events are a reminder to members of the House of their own mortality and fragility. They have shown that members are “all too human”, with not only physical but also spiritual and moral weaknesses, said newly elected Speaker Seah Kian Peng on Wednesday.
“I say this not to join with the chorus of sanctimony, but to reflect first on the need for us all to be vigilant in our personal conduct,” he added in Parliament. He said members should be vigilant with themselves first, but also with colleagues, to hold one another to account without fear and to tell truth to power. “I say this to point to the rules and codes of conduct which govern us all, as members of the highest rulemaking body in the land, and equally, as members of political parties,” the 61-year-old added.
Mr Seah was announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as his nominee for the post on July 21. Mr Seah is the 11th Speaker to preside over the sittings of the House. His proposer was Leader of the House Ms Indranee Rajah, and his seconder Ms Denise Phua (Jalan Besar GRC).
PM Lee addresses CPIB investigation and Speaker/MP resignations: 5 key takeaways
He reveals key points on Iswaran's pay, anti-graft agency's approach and handling Tan Chuan Jin/Cheng Li Hui affair
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong delivered a ministerial statement to the Parliament on Wednesday (2 August), shedding light on the ongoing investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) on Transport Minister S Iswaran.
He also addressed the resignations of former Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin and Member of Parliament (MP) Cheng Li Hui, who stepped down due to their involvement in an affair.
Here are the five key points to take away from the session:
- Iswaran's pay cut and MP allowance - PM Lee revealing that Iswaran had been interdicted from his ministerial duty with a reduced pay of S$8,500 a month until further notice.
- Minister clarifies anti-graft agency's approach - Minister-in-charge of the Public Service, Chan Chun Sing, clarified that the reason that the anti-graft agency did not immediately announce Iswaran's arrest was to gather more facts and to hear his side of the story.
- PM Lee affirms zero tolerance for wrongdoing - PM Lee emphasised the PAP government's stance on zero tolerance for suspicions or allegations of wrongdoing in the discharge of official duties, especially possible corruption. While many rise to the occasion, some may fall short or even breach established norms of conduct. He cited past corruption cases involving political officeholders. Such as Tan Kia Gan in 1966, then former Minister for National Development; Wee Toon Boon in 1975, then a Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment; Phey Yew Kok in 1979, then president of NTUC and also an MP; and Teh Cheang Wan in 1986, who was Minister for National Development.
- Opposition leader calls for ethics adviser - Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh called for the consideration of appointing an ethics adviser and questioned the arrangement of Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui being on the same House committee.
- PM Lee outlines the approach to handling affair - PM Lee explained his approach after learning about the affair between former Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin and MP Cheng Li Hui, over two years ago.
First prize for President hopeful Ng Kok Song
Mr Ng Kok Song aged 75 accompanied by his fiancee Sybil Lau aged 45 at the Elections Department on July 19, 2023. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
The combined ages of Mr Ng Kok Song aged 75 and his fiancee Sybil Lau aged 45, won the First Price drawn by Singapore Pools on 2 Aug 2023.
